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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26175190">Stay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuinousScribe/pseuds/RuinousScribe'>RuinousScribe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EXO (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Broken Baekhyun, I'll add more tags later on, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, romantic chanyeol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:07:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>566</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26175190</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuinousScribe/pseuds/RuinousScribe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where the first time you meet your soulmate is in your dream, Chanyeol meets Baekhyun in a nightmare.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>ɪɴ ᴀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴏᴜʟᴍᴀᴛᴇ ɪꜱ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ, ᴄʜᴀɴʏᴇᴏʟ ᴍᴇᴇᴛꜱ ʙᴀᴇᴋʜʏᴜɴ ɪɴ ᴀ ɴɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇ.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In this world, there are two types of people. Those who believe in soulmates and those who don’t. To some, it could be seen as those who actively seek for this significant other and those who choose not to. But, that’s the thing, it is always seen as a choice when in reality, it isn’t. <em> Whoever came up with that must have not been able to meet their soulmate</em>, Chanyeol thinks.</p><p>Park Chanyeol grew up knowing of the existence of soulmates. He grew up with the understanding that many children he knew were not capable of.</p><p>The concept of soulmates is something as old as time, with some believing that it even preceded the idea of <em>love</em>, and yet it is something that very few truly understand or even acknowledge as a part of society. To this day, most of the world’s cultures teach it to their young, but others choose to view it as an old tradition that can be erased with time. This ignorance and uncertainty stem from the fact that not every person meets their soulmate in each lifetime creating a shaky foundation for such a heavy and abstract idea.</p><p>Despite various beliefs, the <em>truth</em> is that there are more physical human bodies than there will be souls in the universe. While the physical vessels exist through evolution, the souls that inhabit these bodies come from stars. The explosion of stars within the galaxy causes the formation not only of celestial bodies, but also of the almost unexplainable existence of mortal souls. These souls live on even after one human lifetime should they not have met their mate–the one to complete them. However, the multiple lives a soul lives does not equate the memories they keep; every life starts anew, but the <em>soul</em> lives. A soul is only able to truly rest when they are able to meet their soulmate in their lifetime.</p><p>The catch is that two soulmates are only ever to identify each other when they are in close proximity, and the first time they meet is in their dreams. Chanyeol has been taught that this is because in the realm of dreams is where we truly give in to our true desires and emotions. It is the only place where the purity of souls are kept genuine and the closest that the human mind will ever get to <em>paradise</em>. And the soul can only travel so far without disrupting its connection with its physical vessel.</p><p>Chanyeol sometimes catches himself doubting this knowledge as meeting someone in your dreams is only possible if you’ve already seen them, right? It's a fact that the human mind is only capable of creating from <em>something</em>–a memory. And yet, his parents are living proof. He grew up with his favorite bedtime story being his parents’ shared dream. Watching them as a growing boy, he realized that he <em>wanted</em> that. He wanted a bond like theirs. And that he would go to the ends of the earth if it meant having somewhat of a greater chance of finding the one who will complete him.</p><p>Of course, finding one’s soulmate is not necessarily life’s ultimate purpose, especially not to most people of today’s generation. But Park Chanyeol had a plan. His life goal was happiness–happiness with that one person he was always meant to be with. But life almost never goes according to plan.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Updated first on twitter: @mjybjckjs_09</p><p>Comments and kudos are highly appreciated :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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